ISTANBUL—Turkey Wednesday pointed the finger of blame at Islamic State jihadists after a triple suicide bombing and gun attack at Istanbul’s main international airport killed at least 36 people, including foreigners.
Witnesses described scenes of terror and panic on Tuesday evening as the attackers opened fire and then blew themselves up at the entrance to the international arrivals terminal at Ataturk airport, one of Europe’s busiest hubs.
The assault, at the start of Turkey’s crucial summer tourist season, was the deadliest of four attacks to rock the country’s biggest city this year.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Tuesday’s carnage but Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said “the evidence points to Daesh”, using another name for the jihadist group.
Yildirim told reporters at the scene that the dead included foreigners. Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag put the number of wounded at 147.
The attack prompted the suspension of all flights at the airport, but operations were resuming on Wednesday with some delays.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for an international “joint fight” against terror, as Western allies including the United States condemned the “heinous” attack.
Yildirim said the three suicide bombers had arrived in a taxi and opened fire on passengers with automatic rifles before blowing themselves up.
Security camera footage widely circulated on social media appeared to capture two of the blasts. In one clip a huge ball of flame erupts at an entrance to the terminal building, scattering terrified passengers.
Another video shows a black-clad attacker running inside the building before collapsing to the ground—apparently felled by a police bullet—and blowing himself up.
Tuesday’s attack follows coordinated IS suicide bombings at Brussels airport and a city metro station in March that left 32 people dead.
An AFP photographer saw bodies covered with sheets at the terminal, which suffered considerable damage but was being repaired on Wednesday.
Bullet holes peppered the windows and shattered glass lay on the floor, while abandoned luggage was scattered everywhere.
Hundreds of police and firefighters including forensic officers were at the scene.
“Somebody came and shot at us and then my sister ran,” Otfah Mohamed Abdullah told AFP.